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This is a guest post by Sarah Brooks. Sarah is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger.

Tips for Hosting a Successful Party

Playing host or hostess is an extremely rewarding experience; especially when bringing loved ones together to celebrate family ties. But it can also be a daunting proposal for party planners faced with coordinating the wide variety of details involved in carrying-off successful parties.

You are out to have a good time too, so getting a firm handle on your party plans allows you to relax and go with the flow. Use these proven tips to take the stress out of the equation, launching trouble-free fun for your entire family.

Plan Ahead for Success

Start your party planning effort with a wide angle view; roughly deciding when you’d like to host a gathering. Certain times each year, like holiday seasons and summer months; when kids are out of school, are heavily scheduled for many families, so choosing prime-time dates may limit your guest list. On the other hand, advance notice gives friends and family plenty of time to mark the date for your special event.

At the very least, craft your timetable much as you would for a wedding or other occasion, supplying at least a month’s notice for your guests. As you firm-up plans, consider other things that might be happening in people’s lives. Graduation season, for example, furnishes built-in commitments for families, who may not be able to attend your party during this busy period. Major, isolated events can also hinder attendance – don’t try to compete with sporting events or religious holidays for your guests’ attention.

Keep it Simple

Hosting festive gatherings immediately pushes your own expectations higher. After all, you want to put your best foot forward, staging a memorable event. For successful parties, resist the urge to take on more than you can reasonably handle – despite your desire to impress your guests.

Ambitious menus, for example, quickly spiral beyond manageability, taking all the fun out of host and hostess duties. Instead of trying new dishes and calling-on exotic ingredients, stick to simpler fare, using proven recipes and sure-thing crowd-pleasing dishes. And don’t forget to project your menu selections to the scale of your party. While elaborate canapés with detailed presentations are manageable by the dozen, you may find it unreasonable to produce hundreds of them for large parties.

Though variety is the spice of life, you needn’t prove it with sprawling menu selections. Instead, focus on a few well-prepared offerings with mass appeal. And whenever possible, include items you can prepare ahead of time, reducing your commitment on the big day.

Call-In Reinforcements

Family gatherings are all about having fun and reconnecting with loved ones you don’t see as often as you’d like. When working out the details of your party, remember others have walked before you, facing the same host and hostess duties on your plate. To ease your own burden, enlist the help of friends and family willing to contribute to the party-planning effort. Each aspect covered by helpers checks a responsibility off your own list; leading to a well-rounded event and less stress for you.

Mobilize volunteers in ways that help you most. If you need a decorating committee, for instance, tap creative contributors for ideas and input fostering festive ambiance. Or if the party grows beyond numbers you generally accommodate, request spare chairs, tables, and other needed items from helpers, rather than buying or renting them yourself.

Hosting parties can be fun, as long as you don’t become overwhelmed. For sure-fire success, start with a reasonable game plan, using advance coordination to rein in the details. And don’t be afraid to use helpful volunteers to pull-off entertaining, worry-free events.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Sarah Brooks from Freepeoplesearch.org. She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to brooks.sarah23 @ gmail.com